COVID-19 New Cases 666, Back to 600s... Social Distancing Extended for 3 Weeks (Summary)

633 Local Cases and 33 Overseas Cases... Total 135,344 Cases, 4 More Deaths Bringing Total to 1,926
Social Distancing and Ban on Private Gatherings of 5 or More Extended for 3 Weeks Until Next Month 13

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] On the 22nd, the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases recorded 666. It increased by more than 100 compared to the previous day, rising back to the 600 range in just one day.

Recently, the proportion of infections transmitted through small gatherings or meetings such as family, acquaintances, and workplaces has risen significantly to nearly half, making the government's quarantine response challenging. The government extended the current 'social distancing (Level 2 in the metropolitan area, Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas)' and the ban on private gatherings of five or more people for three more weeks until the 13th of next month.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the 22nd, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 666, bringing the total to 135,344. This is 105 more than the previous day (561 cases).

Recently, COVID-19 has continued its 4th wave with cluster infections occurring in everyday living spaces. The number of new cases over the past week from the 16th to the 22nd were 610, 619, 528, 654, 646, 561, and 666 respectively. There were two days in the 500 range and five days in the 600 range.

With a daily average of about 612 cases over the week, the key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, the average daily number of locally transmitted cases, is about 587. This still falls within Level 2.5 (nationwide 400-500 or more cases).

On this day, the infection routes of new cases were 633 local transmissions and 33 imported cases. Local cases increased by 91 from the previous day (542), returning to the 600 range.

By region, the metropolitan area accounted for 381 cases (60.2%) with Seoul at 205, Gyeonggi at 163, and Incheon at 13. Non-metropolitan areas reported a total of 252 cases (39.8%), including Daegu 55, Ulsan and Gangwon 29 each, Busan 27, Gyeongnam 21, Chungnam 17, Jeonnam 16, Gwangju and Gyeongbuk 15 each, Jeonbuk 12, Jeju 7, Daejeon 5, and Chungbuk 4.

Major cluster infection cases include 66 confirmed cases from four entertainment establishments in Daegu since the first case related to a nightclub on the 19th. The number of confirmed cases related to a hot spring bath in Asan, Chungnam, increased to 44. In the metropolitan area, new cases were reported at an academy in Gangnam-gu, Seoul (18 cumulative), a daycare center in Namyangju, Gyeonggi (23), and an electrical company in Seongnam, Gyeonggi (10).

There were 33 imported cases, 14 more than the previous day (19). Twenty-one were identified during airport or port quarantine processes. Twelve tested positive while in self-quarantine at their residences or temporary living facilities in Seoul (3), Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Chungbuk (2 each), and Busan, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk (1 each).

They are estimated to have come from 14 countries. Sixteen are Korean nationals, and 17 are foreigners. China accounted for the largest number with 10 cases, followed by the Philippines and India with 4 each, Egypt 3, Japan and Uzbekistan 2 each, and Bangladesh, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the United States with 1 each.

Combining local transmissions and imported cases (excluding quarantine), Seoul had 208 cases, Gyeonggi 165, and Incheon 15, totaling 388 cases. Nationwide, confirmed cases were reported in 16 cities and provinces except Sejong.

The number of deaths increased by 4 from the previous day, totaling 1,926. The domestic average fatality rate is 1.42%. The number of critically ill patients rose by 3 from the previous day (147) to 150. The number of recovered patients released from isolation increased by 874 to a total of 125,032. The number of patients currently in isolation treatment decreased by 212 to a total of 8,386.

So far, the total number of COVID-19 diagnostic tests conducted domestically is 9,520,966, of which 9,268,064 tested negative, and 117,558 are awaiting results.

The number of tests conducted through screening clinics on the previous day was 33,858, which is 5,892 fewer than the 39,750 tests conducted the day before.

The positivity rate calculated by dividing confirmed cases by the number of tests was 1.97% (666 out of 33,858), slightly higher than the previous day's 1.41% (561 out of 39,750). The cumulative positivity rate is 1.42% (135,344 out of 9,520,966).

Meanwhile, as of midnight on this day, 13,674 people received their first dose of the vaccine. This brings the total number of people who have completed the first dose to 3,787,570 (2,061,032 with AstraZeneca vaccine, 1,726,538 with Pfizer vaccine). The number of new second dose vaccinations was 221,916, bringing the total number of people who have completed the second dose to 1,707,528.

Reports of suspected adverse reactions increased by 1,006 to a total of 24,130. Among these, common immune responses after vaccination such as muscle pain, headache, fever, chills, and nausea accounted for 23,008 cases (95.3%). There were 209 suspected cases of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) with 9 new cases, and 765 cases of neurological adverse reactions with 75 new cases reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.